Documentaries, Shows, Films, Interviews, and Games.

This short documentary features interviews with three men. Their names are Victor Thomas, Lucah Rosenberg Lee, and Sasha Alexander. They discuss invisibility, transitioning, sexuality, relationships, and feeling erased within LGBT+ spaces. It is an absolutely wonderful film that I highly recommend watching.

Everybody should engage with the insights that these men can offer, no matter your gender or sexuality or ethnicity. Trans men are historically (and currently) often erased, and this is especially an issue for trans men of colour. This documentary is an efficient and eloquent way to push back against that erasure, and dismantle limited rhetoric about what being trans looks like, and who has a voice in trans spaces. Trans men of colour, and all trans men, deserve to take up space and be listened to.

You can watch Passing here.

The synopsis is as follows: "In an intimate and deeply personal documentary, immigrant Latino fathers across the U.S. recount the impact of their children’s coming out. Through raw, heartfelt testimonies, these families delve deeply into issues of immigration, prejudice, and isolation, while thoughtfully asking questions of their communities, culture, and even their religious beliefs. The result is a powerful lesson on solidarity and humility in a film that both heals and inspires." There is at least one trans man interviewed in this documentary, who (if I am not mistaken) was also interviewed in TRANS (2012), when he was much earlier in his transition. I am really excited to watch this documentary in full because, after seeing the trailer and a few snippets, it looks absolutely gorgeous and very sweet. You can view the trailer, and purchase/rent the film, here.

Despite leaning on shallow trans tropes and crudely emphasising the struggle of cis family members in adjusting to a trans boy’s journey, this film is still very relatable. And the actress cast to play the trans protagonist, for what it’s worth, approached the role with a great deal of respect, and much more respect than other actors involved. Elle Fanning, the White American actress, researched trans experiences and watched trans Youtubers' videos prior to filming 3 Generations, describing in interviews how she was moved to tears by trans kids' experiences.

This is an imperfect film, but not that bad if you manage your expectations and prepare for transphobia. Ray, the protagonist, has to fight off a transphobic bully who sexually harasses him and targets him with homophobic slurs, but Ray successfully escapes the encounter. He deals with being misgendered by family members in a similar way to my own experiences. There is a happy ending.

At the time 3 Generations was filmed, there wasn't as much discussion about trans actors playing trans people. That’s one reason, among a handful, that I dislike 3 Generations far less than I hate movies like A Good Man. Make no mistake, 3 Generations is not perfect… or, arguably, even that good. I’ll call it my guilty pleasure and leave it at that. Regardless of how much I personally enjoy moments in this movie, though, it is undoubtedly an example of an actress being considered capable of playing a trans man simply because she is slender, young, and White... An approach to casting too often employed across film and television, from Degrassi to Dead of Summer. Fanning's intentions might have been good, but we definitely don't need another film like 3 Generations.

WARNING: There is unsafe chest binding in this film. Though Ray offhandedly mentions that he's no longer binding with ACE bandages, the comment isn't enough to compensate for the bandage binding which is shown earlier in the film. He is also shown lifting weights while wearing a chest binder, which sets a dangerous example for trans viewers who may harm themselves by attempting that same feat, as I once did. Learn more about unsafe chest binding here.

Three friends, one of them a closeted trans boy, discover a magical plant that allows them to switch into different bodies. The two girls seem attracted to the magic because it allows them freedom from misogyny and social pressures. Kim (the third friend) expresses a desire to change his body from the beginning of the film, and this desire is affirmed when he gains a penis and a flat chest.

In a body that is socially received as male, Kim explores a gay romance between himself and a cis boy. At one point, Kim is asked, "are you in love with him, or do you just want to be like him?" That is a struggle that many gay trans men face.

If you do want to watch this movie, you need to prepare for misogyny, lesbophobia, gay bashing, attempted rape, and gender dysphoria in response to menstruation. The f-slur is also used by a character struggling with internalised homophobia. I thought this would be a sweet, fantastical coming-of-age movie with trans plotlines, so I was pretty surprised when such heavy themes were introduced. Ultimately, it's implied that Kim is going to commit suicide using a gun, following a previous discussion of firearm suicide.

Kim is played by Tuva Jagell, an actress.

The synopsis is as follows: "Vico Ortiz and Jessica Camacho costar in this beautiful story about what it looks like to show up as an ally for our gender-nonconforming loved ones. When Mac, a young butch Latina, dies, her girlfriend, Hope, must overcome both personal grief and homophobic hostilities from Mac’s family in order to respectfully send Mac off into the afterlife as she would’ve wanted." If you are located in the USA or have a VPN, you can watch this short film here. Ortiz, who plays Mac, is a non-binary actor of colour who also stars in Our Flag Means Death. Please note that Vámonos includes lesbophobic attitudes, a discussion which (depending on your interpretation) might be referring to a past sexual assault, images of Mac's dead body, and religious rhetoric condemning LGBT+ people as sinners.

This show is terribly written, painfully cis-centric, and generous with its heapings of transphobia (mainly directed at a trans female character), but Scott Turner Schofield’s appearances are fun. He's a trans guy playing a gay trans man, which is shockingly progressive for such a piss-poor show. (Again, these reviews are not impartial.) He jokes about storing testosterone, at the expense of a clueless cis character who has no idea what that means. That gave me a laugh. Anyway, probably give this one a miss? Unless your tastes are drastically different to mine. Which is entirely possible. Lower your expectations and have fun, I suppose. You can watch some of Schofield's scenes here.

Dot-Marie Jones, an actress, portrays Sheldon Beiste, initially introduced as Shannon. You can watch one of his transition-related scenes here, where he is returning to work for the first time since transitioning. It's one of the most awkward things I've ever seen, but in all honesty, that might just reflect the writing of Glee overall. You can read an article here about Jones's approach to playing a trans man; "I just pray that it comes across how it felt," she says, elaborating that she approached the role with "a lot of heart and soul and with the utmost respect." Much like 3 Generations, this can be considered an example of unideal casting which shouldn't be repeated, but that doesn't mean the actress herself had any cruel intentions.

This interview can be watched here. The accompanying bio begins thusly: "Kylar William Broadus was born on August 28, 1963 in Fayette, Missouri... Early on, Kylar experienced gender dysphoria. While his mother sought to protect her daughter by encouraging feminine mannerisms and dress, Kylar’s dad seemed to intuitively grasp that Kylar was, on some deep level, a boy... In the mid-1990s, after informing his employer about his gender transition, Kylar’s work environment became increasingly unwelcoming and unsupportive. After being forced to resign, and having realized it was (and still is) completely legal in Missouri for his company to discriminate based on gender, Kylar began a long, committed journey to use the court system for his own protection and on behalf of other trans people. He helped develop federal, state and local protections for people regardless of their gender identity or gender expression. His many scholarly articles on transgender advocacy in family and employment law have fundamentally shaped academic and legal discussions of gender. In 2010, Kylar founded the Trans People of Color Coalition (TPOCC) to fill a gap in the private and non-profit sectors. And in 2012, Kylar became the first openly transgender person to testify before the U.S. Senate in support of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA)."

The synopsis is as follows: "Aram, an Iranian Armenian youth who has immigrated to the United States in childhood, visits Armenia for the first time to propose to an Armenian girlfriend Aram met and lived with in the United States. Aram sees many cultural, religious, and national differences on the one-day trip, but more difficult obstacles remain, such as a gender-affirming surgery in neighboring Iran." I haven't been able to find this film anywhere, unfortunately!

In this short documentary, watchable here, Naveen Bhat talks about their journey and hardships. As a non-binary teenager, they were illegally detained by their abusive parents in India, but fled with the assistance of their partner, their partner's family, and Indian LGBT activists. They talk about the physical and emotional abuse meted out by their parents, and particularly by their mother, so this documentary is clearly confronting. But it's also very sweet, with Madi (Naveen's partner) and Madi's parents sheltering Naveen in the USA. It's clear that Madi's parents don't entirely understand Naveen's non-binary identity, but they hug Naveen and insist on protecting them regardless.

Rituparna Borah, a queer feminist activist in New Delhi, refers to Naveen with he/him/his pronouns while discussing evacuating Naveen from India. It's not clear whether Naveen was previously using those pronouns or whether they are being misgendered in Borah's interview.

Justice Vikramajit Sen, of the Supreme Court of India, speaks firmly and positively about the human rights of trans people, which I very much enjoyed.

In a very touching moment, Naveen reacts with a delighted smile when they receive their first testosterone shot. Their partner is sitting next to them, a hand on their shoulder, supporting them while the nurse explains how a testosterone injection works. Overall, this is a very important and touching short film.

You can read my full review of Transit Havana here. Juani Santos Peréz, an older trans man, is one of three trans Cubans interviewed in this documentary. If you are a trans man, I would definitely recommend watching for Juani's journey. He is a joyful, hard-working, resilient, energetic man who was finally able to access sex reassignment surgery at 61 years of age, at which point he became "Cuba's first transsexual", as he labels himself. There is no expiry date on being your true self, gents!

This is a documentary about a tailoring shop that specifically serves trans and gender-diverse clientele. But don't be fooled, this isn't just a documentary about clothing! It's about so much more than that. Filmmakers take the time to interview a range of trans people who have different identities and are at varying stages of their transitions. Family life, transitioning, employment difficulties, gender dysphoria, and a huge range of subjects are discussed. The majority of the interviewees are trans men and transmasculine people.

Mental health, suicidal ideation, and bigotry are discussed, but nothing graphic or too confronting; just people sharing their life stories and struggles. One interviewee reclaims the f-slur, so if that will be upsetting for you, be prepared for that. A trans man is filmed as he goes in for his hysterectomy, and is interviewed while sitting in his hospital bed. Fair warning, he uses potentially dysphoria-inducing anatomical terms for his organs and genitalia.

Overall, I'd say this is a pretty positive and diverse film! And I liked that the documentary concluded with praise and adoration of masculinity. That's shockingly rare in a lot of LGBT+ discourse, certainly in my experience. It was nice to watch something which reminded me that being masculine is wonderful, and is not bad.

You can find more information about the documentary here.

This interview can be watched here. The accompanying bio begins thusly: "Shannon Minter was born on Valentine’s Day, 1961. He grew up female in a close-knit family and faith community in East Texas. In high school, Shannon came to the conclusion that he was lesbian, and eventually came out to his family as such. After graduating from University of Texas at Austin, Shannon attended Cornell Law School. During his last year there, he began to identify as transgender. He graduated from Cornell in 1993, and in 1996 began transitioning... Shannon has devoted virtually his entire career to the quest for LGBTQ legal equality. Many of his cases have set precedents that safeguard LGBTQ rights."

Overall, I really enjoyed this documentary. It's so rare to get this extensive an insight into a mature-aged FTM transition. Kim, at the beginning of the documentary, is aged 48. He is a White American. We get to see him starting testosterone, grappling with coming out, and having top surgery. I am so proud of Kim for showing his pre-op chest, especially considering his dysphoria about its size. Later, we get to see Kim swimming shirtless, post-op, and it's such a beautiful moment.

Dr. Tony Mangubat, who performed Kim's surgery, is an Asian American man. In a very beautiful (but sad) interview, he compared discrimination against trans people to his experience of racism. I loved his empathy.

There is some misinformation from cis gay journalist Dan Savage about phalloplasty and the ability to orgasm, namely that female-to-male bottom surgery options are inherently inferior and unsuccessful. It's worth noting that his opinions are outdated and incorrect. I recommend the books Top to Bottom and Hung Jury if you're seeking an accurate and balanced perspective on female-to-male bottom surgery. Don't listen to Savage.

Savage also offers a perspective on coming out which doesn’t take into account abusive families who put trans people in genuinely unsafe (and deadly) situations. He also places the onus on trans people to answer all questions from cis people, even “the average Joe Blow on the street”. I reject that onus, thank you Mr. Savage.

Jamison Green (an FTM pioneer) offers a more considered view of coming out to parents and family, and has a beautiful conversation with Kim. Green's interviews are far more valuable, in my opinion, than what Savage has to offer in this documentary.

It's worth noting that Buck Angel is interviewed in this documentary. I stopped following Angel's career a while back, as an FTM transsexual myself, because I found his confrontational and aggressive manner quite anxiety-inducing... and his rhetoric has only gotten more hostile since then. However, in this documentary, he is very calm and relatable. He doesn't say anything confrontational at all, and describes feeling positively about the direction that the trans community is heading; having a “glass half full” attitude about the trans movement (an outlook which has clearly changed). He discusses his own experiences with top surgery and choosing not to have bottom surgery, which is definitely valuable for men who feel similarly. Any negative commentary you might associate with Angel isn't included in Finding Kim, so I still highly recommend this film.

One comment that I will make is that not all trans men, contrary to some of Kim's comments, hate our chests. Not all trans men want top surgery, even some trans men with bigger chests. And that is totally okay. No two trans men are the same, and no two trans men have exactly the same feelings about their bodies. Trans men are a diverse lot, and that includes body diversity.

One other comment... Kim says that he was inspired by Stone Butch Blues, which is wonderful in itself, but he does label it as an FTM book. I would say that's a misinterpretation of who Jess Goldberg is.

WARNING: This documentary includes graphic, uncensored footage of surgery being performed. The trailer, watchable here, includes discussions of surgery and footage of blood.

This show does get points for casting an Asian American trans actor of colour (Ian Alexander) in a trans male role. Be prepared for a confusing premise, misgendering, deadnaming, and violence if you give it a go. Also, a ridiculous and inappropriate scene which implies that magical hand-waving and interpretive dance can deflect bullets during school shootings.

This show is confusing at best and insulting at worst. I stopped watching season 1 when a tortured cis man was forced into sex with a woman. Despite the fact that he was utterly unable to consent, the female protagonist was offended that he'd been unfaithful to her, rather than caring about his trauma. (Hey, writers... Victim blaming, much?) Viewers are not encouraged to give a shit about the man who was coerced into having non-consensual sex. The trans representation was not enough to keep me watching, especially when the plot is so thin and tenuous. The show labels itself as being progressive, but doesn't take the sexual assault/harassment of men seriously. Go figure. It's not like several other shows, which boast about being progressive and including trans characters, don't fail in exactly the same way. (The Umbrella Academy, Good Girls, Orphan Black, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and Our Flag Means Death... for example.)

I did resume watching the show after that point. It wasn't worth it.